Storm-shield for vehicles.



PATBNTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

C. F. WENSINGER.

STORM SHIELD FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1905.

1 entor.

Attorneys,

Witnesses CHARLES F. WENSINGIDH, OF FREMONI, ()l-IIO.

STORM-SHIELD FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed March 25.1905. Serial No. 252,005.

To all w/umt it 11mg concur/1.:

Be it known that I, ()naenns F. \V ENSING an, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Storm- Shield for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to storm-shields for vehicles; and among the objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices, to lessen the weight, to facilitate the adjustment, and to lessen the cost of production.

1V ith these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes, alterations, and modifications to which recourse may be had within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efficiency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side view showing a portion of a vehicle to which the invention has been applied. Fig. .2 is a front elevation of a device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a perspective detail view illustrating the construction at the juncture of the frames. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view showing the device for retaining the shield in operative position. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a modification.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

The improved storm-shield which constitutes the present invention comprises two frames 1 2, each of which may be constructed of wire or metallic rods of suitable dimensions to insure the necessary stiffness and rigidity. The upper frame 1 is shaped to fit against the front bow in a vehicle-top, the upper corners bemg rounded, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.

The side members of said upper frame are bent at their lower ends to form loops or eyes 3 The lower frame 2, which is of approximately rectangular shape and of suitable dimensions to [it the vehicle for which it is intended, is provided at its upper corners with eyes 1 1, formed by bending the side members of the frame, as will be most clearly seen by reference to Fig. & of the drawings. The eyes 3 1 of the upper and lower frames are adapted to be placed in registry with each other, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, and when the said frames are placed in operative relation with one another the bottom bar 5 of the frame 1 and the top bar 6 of the frame 2 will be spaced apart sul'liciently to accommodate a tubular member 7.

The frames are connected hingcdly by means of hinge-rods 8, which are inserted through the eyes 3 1 and into the ends of the tubular member 7, which arespaced from thear'ljacent frame sides to accomodate springs 9, which are coiled upon the hinge-rods 8, said springs being provided at their inner ends with arms 10, abutting upon and connected with the rear side of the top bar of the frame 1. The outer ends of the springs J have arms 11, provided at the ends with hooks 12, abutting upon the front sides of the side members of the frame 2, which latter by the tension of the springs will be forced automatically in an upward and rearward direction against the under side of the vehicle-top, with which the topframe 1is connected, as will be seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The hinge-rods 8 are provided at their outer ends with hook members 13, adapted to straddle the side members of the front bow and having arms 11, terminating in hooks 15. in adjustingthe device in operative position the arms 11 are made to pass in rearof thetop joint 16, connected with the front bow 17, and the hooks 15 at the free ends of said arms are caused to engage the front side of the bow 17, thus causing said arms to be retained securely in position by their inherent resiliency and at the same time causing the hinge-rods, of which said arms form the extended ends, to properly connect the upper and lower frames of the shield.

Suitably connected with the lower portion of the bottom frame 2, as by means of suitably-constructed sheet-metal clips 18, is a rock-shaft 19, formed with hook-shaped engaging devices 21.) at the ends thereof and also provided with a lever-handle 21, whereby it may be conveniently manipulated to cause it to turn in its bearings.

The frames 1 and 2 are to be covered with any suitable Waterproof material or combination of materials, such as rubber cloth, indurated fiber, waterproof textile material of any kind, or even with wood, sheet metal, or any other material which shall be deemed suitable for the purpose. The lower frame 2 serves to constitute a sash, which is provided with a pane 22 of transparent material, such as glass, mica, celluloid, or the like. The covering 23 of the lower frame is preferably extended below the bottom bar and at the sides of said frame, as shown at 2 1 in Fig. 2, or a downward extension may be formed in the nature of a flexible flap, as indicated at 25 in Fig. 1.

This improved storm-shield is to be used in connection with an ordinary storm apron, which has been illustrated at 26 in Fig. 1 of the drawings and which is connected with the body and with the top of the vehicle by means of straps 27. The inclined front 28 of the apron is provided with eyelets, as 29, (best seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings,) said eyelets being adapted for engagement with the hook members 20 at the ends of the rock-shaft 19. It is obvious that, if desired, additional hooks may be formed upon said rock-shaft intermediate the ends thereof, the front apron being obviously provided with eyelets to register with such hook members.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. The top frame 1 of the improved storm-shield may be mounted in the top of a vehicle in j uxtaposition to the front bow, and it may be secured in position in any suitable manner. When the storm-shield is not in operation, it will be held by the action of the springs 9 in an outof-the-way position under the buggy-top, or it may, if desired, be easily disconnected by simply removing the hinge-rods, such removal and the subsequent reassembling of the parts being easily and quickly effected. hen the storm-shield is required for use, the apron 26, which is of ordinary construction, is first placed in position. The occupant of the vehicle may then reach up and bring the shieldframe 2 in a downward direction against the tension of the springs until the upper edge of the front part of the flexible apron 26 may be connected with the hooks 20 of the rock-shaft 19, after which by partly rotating said rockshaft in its bearings the connection will be rendered practically permanent. The driving-reins may be permitted to extend between the upper edge of the flexible front part of the apron and the flap or extension of the covering of the frame 2, said flap or extension serving to shed water, as will be readily understood. Disconnection of the parts may be effected instantaneously by so turning the rock-shaft 19 as to cause the hook members 20 to cast off the eyelets 29, thus causing the flexible front part of the apron to drop into the lap of the occupant of the vehicle, while immediately upon releasing the frame 2 the latter will be swung by the tension of the springs 8 into its normal out-of-the-way position under the vehicle-top.

It will be readily understood that the frame 2, which, with its covering, properly constitutes the shield, may be regarded as being hingedly connected with the vehicle-top and that under some circumstances the upper frame 1 may be dispensed with or greatly modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

Under the modification illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings the arms (here designated 10 and 11) which extend upwardly and downwardly from the ends of the spring-coil (here designated 8) are disposed adjacent to the inner sides of the top and bottom frames 1 2 instead of adjacent to the outer sides of said frames, as is the case in the remaining figures. The upwardly extending springarm 10 is bent forwardly over the upper edge of the top frame 1 and is provided with a spring-coil 35, lying against the front side of the upper edge of the top frame, said springcoil terminating in a hook member 36, having an overturned lip 37. This hook member is adapted to be placed in engagement with the front bow of the buggy-top, thus serving, in conjunction with the hook members 13, to retain the device in operative position and dispensing with the necessity of separate securing means.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A hingedly-supported shield-frame, and hinge-rods supporting said shield-frame and provided at the ends thereof with bow-engaging hooks and arms.-

2. A hingedly supported shield frame, hinge-rods supporting said frame and having bow-engaging hooks and arms, and springs mounted upon the hinge-rods and having arms engaging the side members of the shieldframe.

3. A hingedly supported shield frame, hinge-rods supporting said frame and having bow-engaging hooks and arms, supporting means for the inner ends of the hinge-rods, and springs coiled upon the latter and having arms under tension engaging the side members of the shield-frame.

a. A supporting-frame, a shield-frame, hinge-rods connecting said frame and having bow-engaging hooks and arms, and supporting means for the inner ends-of the hingerods and springs coiled upon the latter; said springs being provided with oppositely-extending arms engaging the top bar of the supporting-frame and the side members of the shield-frame.

A supporting-frame having eyes formed upon the side members thereof, a shield frame having eyes formed upon the 'side members thereof, and hinge-rods extending through the istering eyes of the side members of said frames and having bow-engaging hooks and arms.

(3. A supporting-frame having eyes formed on the side members thereof near its lower end. a shield-frame having eyes formed upon the side members thereof near its upper end, hinge-rods extending through the registering eyes of the side members of said frames, and a member interposed between said frames and receiving and supporting the ends of the hinge-rods.

T. A supporting-frame and a shield-frame provided with registering eyes, hinge-rods extending through said eyes and having bowengaging hooks and arms, and connecting and supporting means for the inner ends of the hinge-rods.

8. A supportingframe, a shield-frame, hinge rods connecting said frames, and springs coiled upon said rods and having extended arms bearing against said frames and tending to fold them together.

9. A supporting-frame, a shield-frame, means for hingedly connecting said frames, said connecting means being provided with bow-engaging hooks and arms, and spring means tending to fold the frames together.

10. A supporting-frame and a shield-frame formed with registering eyes, and connectingrods extending through said eyes; said rods being provided at their outer ends with bowengaging hooks having extended arms likewise terminating in bow-engaging hooks.

11. A supporting-frame and a shield-frame formed with registering eyes.connecting-rods extending through said eyes and provided with l.) w-engaging hooks and arms, springs coiled upon the connecting-rods and having frame-engaging arms, and tubular supporting means interposed between the frames for the reception of the inner ends of the connectingrods and serving also as abntments for the springs coiled upon said rods.

12. A hingedlv-su orted s wing-actuated I shield-frame, and a rock-shaft connected with said frame and having apron-engaging hooks.

13. A hingedly-supported spring-actuated shield-frame having a covering and a Hat or flexible extension, and a rock-shaft supported by said frame and having apron-engaging hooks.

H. A top frame adapted for connection with a. vehicle-top. a s1')ringactuated shieldframe hinged l v connected with said top frame, said top and shield frames being covered with waterproof material and said shieldframe having a transparent pane, and a rock-shaft supported by the shieldframe and having a1won-engaging hooks.

15. A supporting-frame, a shield-frame hingedly connected therewith, and spring means tending to fold said frames together; said si ring means being provided with bowengaging hooks.

16. A supporting-frame, a shield-frame, means for hingedly connecting said frames, said connecting means being provided with bow-engaging hooks and arms, and spring means tending to fold the frames together; said spring means being provided with bowengaging hooks.

'17. A supporting-frame. a shield-frame hingedly connected therewith, and a spring having arms extended into engagement with said fumes and tending to fold said frames together; one of said arms being provided with means for engaging the front bow of a vehicle-top to secure the device in position.

18. A supporting-frame, a shield-frame hingedly connected therewith, and a spring having arms extended into engagement with said frames and tending to fold said frames together; one of said arms being provided with a coil terminating in a bow-engaging hook.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own i have hereto alti'xed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Ol'IAh-LES F. \VENSINGER.

\Vitnesses:

Soo'r'r S. \VoLr. A. OFannicn. 

